Grrl Power VIII: Hotter Than What's In Sydney's Lunchbox

[Traab]

... wait, Harem is tasing Sydney while two of Harem are holding on to her? Wouldn't that also zap the Harems?

Nope. Watch any taser training video. Two guys hold your arms while you get zapped so you dont hurt yourself falling.

[TeChameleon]

Nope. Watch any taser training video. Two guys hold your arms while you get zapped so you dont hurt yourself falling.

Huh. You learn something new every day.

... like the fact that 'taser training videos' are a thing.

[AvatarVecna]

Huh. You learn something new every day.

... like the fact that 'taser training videos' are a thing.

Not too surprising to me. Microwaveable food frequently includes a warning that food may be hot after being microwaved. A melee training video including such stellar advice as "unsafe end towards enemy" or "if you Stun them they will fall" is sim8larly directing towards lowest common denominator.

[lord_khaine]

When Max, the General, Arianna and the rest of Archon's leadership were discussing Sydney's background, there was mention that she'd been arrested. The reason being, someone had tried to mug her, and all the police report said as to what she did to the guy was "The humanity!"

This was well before the faked bank robbery.

Yeah. So we dont actually know anything factual about that episode.

[Traab]

Not too surprising to me. Microwaveable food frequently includes a warning that food may be hot after being microwaved. A melee training video including such stellar advice as "unsafe end towards enemy" or "if you Stun them they will fall" is sim8larly directing towards lowest common denominator.

Honestly, being able to see (and feel) the effect helps you to understand how best to use them safely. Its not a training video as such, its a video of people being trained in the use of one. Think of it like military training where you go into the tear gas room and take off your mask. Gotta experience it so you know how to handle it. Its easy to TELL someone what will happen, but some things you really have to experience it directly to understand.

[sihnfahl]

Its easy to TELL someone what will happen, but some things you really have to experience it directly to understand.

I, too, microdose on Iocaine powder.

[Radar]

I, too, microdose on Iocaine powder.

Inconceivable!

That being said, exposure to tear gas is not for building any kind of resistance (probably not possible anyway), but to train a correct response in controlled conditions.

[Grendelkin]

New update!

Comprehensive restraints, well done.
Hey, Lapha. You can shoot your mouth off as much as you like, but Archon has an alliance with the Twilight Council as well as in-house mages, and you? You are a living spell with a criminal record.
One way or another, you're done.

[Reboot]

The thing Sydney should most be offended by are the padded walls. She's full-body straightjacketed AND strapped to a chair. If she could somehow escapologise her way out of that, I doubt the orb box would be a problem. Padding the walls is just insult to injury.

[Why DO they have the orbs in a glass box within sight of her anyway? I realise there's a distance limit, but I'm sure they could have got at least one solid wall between them and her in such a custom-made situation.]

[Grendelkin]

Remember the ringtone Maxima assigned to Sydney? "They're coming to take me away." And more than one other character has described her as being ... a bit unhinged.
Or there's a more charitable explanation; they don't want Sydney to get hurt if Lapha manages full control and tries to batter her way out.

Maybe they wanted to keep both the orbs and their anchor in clear view of security cameras at all times, and were worried as to what might happen if they taxed the tether connecting them too much. A (bulletproof?) glass box seems like a happy alternative.

[Yuki Akuma]

Some people in the comic's comments seem to have forgotten this is a flashback.

Also some people in the comic's comments seem to be rooting for Arc-SWAT to torture Sydney so that's kinda disturbing.

[Radar]

The thing Sydney should most be offended by are the padded walls. She's full-body straightjacketed AND strapped to a chair. If she could somehow escapologise her way out of that, I doubt the orb box would be a problem. Padding the walls is just insult to injury.

[Why DO they have the orbs in a glass box within sight of her anyway? I realise there's a distance limit, but I'm sure they could have got at least one solid wall between them and her in such a custom-made situation.]

1. Do you remember what ringtone Maxima had for Sydney? One way or another, the padded cell was expected to be useful.

2. This probably is something else than glass. Also, this was most likely done for the convenience of the readers.

[lord_khaine]

This does seem like massive overkill. They could have welded the orbs into an iron box, and called it a day.
Heck if the box is heavy enough they could have left Sydney in house arrest. She would not go anyway.

But possibly this is to prevent Lahpa from injuring Sydney.
Or a worry Lahpa is a spell caster on her? own.

[Shogo]

My basic response to the latest comic is . . . Well . . . Having a sympathetic backstory doesn't make you sympathetic.

Just because your life sucked doesn't make it okay (for a lot of villains) to murder, or (for this one) to try to steal someone's body.

[Kantaki]

I have to admit, I laughed.
There's just something about the whole situation, especially with Sydney reacting over, that's just hilarious to me.
Like, I know, intellectually, that this is supposed to be sad, and I feel kinda bad being amused, but the whole situation is just ridiculous and Sydney being so Sidney about it doesn't help.

Still not the worst presentation of a tragic backstory.
Looking at you StarPower.

[Traab]

What was the tragic story for starpower? I only remember the puppy kicking moment when big bad billy bob put his own ship ai through a shredder to avoid leaving loose ends.

[Kantaki]

What was the tragic story for starpower? I only remember the puppy kicking moment when big bad billy bob put his own ship ai through a shredder to avoid leaving loose ends.

I was thinking of Danica's friend from the mafia planet. Lost her family in a shoot out.
Which would probably have worked if it wasn't for the blood looking more like grape lemonade or something like that. I think my impression was "Splatoon Larp gone wrong" back then.

But that comic had so much stuff like that. Like aliens being so evil love and compassion were the equivalent to the F-word for them.

[Traab]

So we are getting to the point here. Im guessing next update will have max try to lay down the law and just what sort of horrors she can justify comitting to a sentient security breach like her. Not sure how well that will work though, maybe dabbler will be sick enough that she has no problem suggesting all sorts of things that are terribly specific about making her kind suffer.

[Rydiro]

So I guess Max found out that Dabbler was using Suggestion spells on the team?

[lord_khaine]

So I guess Max found out that Dabbler was using Suggestion spells on the team?

No? that Dabbler looks extremely hungover is due to her overdosing on mana potions.

[Rydiro]

No? that Dabbler looks extremely hungover is due to her overdosing on mana potions.

Ah, the "frumpy" clothing had me confused. I thought looking sexy would still be her top priority.

[Bilious]

Think of it like military training where you go into the tear gas room and take off your mask. Gotta experience it so you know how to handle it. Its easy to TELL someone what will happen, but some things you really have to experience it directly to understand.

And then there's the one guy in the training company it just doesn't have any effect on.

[lord_khaine]

Ah, the "frumpy" clothing had me confused. I thought looking sexy would still be her top priority.

Shows how sick she are after this.
Also shows her dedication to the teams cohesion.

[Traab]

Shows how sick she are after this.
Also shows her dedication to the teams cohesion.

Ah but is she dedicated to team cohesion? Or is she just minimizing backlash against her little sister? In reality this could have had a serious backlash against her, her family, demons in general, etc. So her smoothing things out reaction wise might not have been because she wanted to make sure her future eff buddies in arcswat were mentally ok after this and more to do with covering her peoples rears.

[lord_khaine]

Yes she is dedicated to team cohesion.
As she really dont need to do anything to shelter her sister from backlash. Parfait is to well connected for people to give her more than a slap on the wrist.
While Dabbler is to well connected, to important, and socially skilled enough to not suffer any backlash herself whatsoever.
That being besides having the excellent shelter of "i wasnt around" and "it was not me, do you want to be held responsible for every single bad thing humans does?"

Besides that Dabbler has strict rules against "bonking" people on the team. And should as an experienced succubus be able to melt away lingering resentment in like 30 sec if she wanted to.
Instead she took a small chance doing something that might actually generate more resentment. And made her sick as heck.
Just to ensure "the edges were blunted". Well. At that page she also stated the base needed a serious "bone down".

[Traab]

Yes she is dedicated to team cohesion.
As she really dont need to do anything to shelter her sister from backlash. Parfait is to well connected for people to give her more than a slap on the wrist.
While Dabbler is to well connected, to important, and socially skilled enough to not suffer any backlash herself whatsoever.
That being besides having the excellent shelter of "i wasnt around" and "it was not me, do you want to be held responsible for every single bad thing humans does?"

Besides that Dabbler has strict rules against "bonking" people on the team. And should as an experienced succubus be able to melt away lingering resentment in like 30 sec if she wanted to.
Instead she took a small chance doing something that might actually generate more resentment. And made her sick as heck.
Just to ensure "the edges were blunted". Well. At that page she also stated the base needed a serious "bone down".

Her strict rules are "I really want to but have been ordered in no uncertain terms to not do so." As far as team boinking goes at least. And she doesnt explicitly spell it out but it was fairly clear one of, if not THE main point of her mana burning was to help prevent the backlash that absolutely would have happened if she hadnt been running her "just what I needed" aura the whole time. She mind controlled, sorry, mind "influenced" everyone to keep them from getting upset and kept it up all night to blunt the impact it would have. Because having the entire base be filled with people annoyed AT BEST that they were influenced into having sex, and incredibly angry and potentially traumatized over who they hooked up with and how would have caused serious damage to the teams outlook on succubi in general, and parfait in particular, with spillover to dabbler as well seeing as even without that she tends to run the line of tolerable.

[lord_khaine]

Yes thats the entire point im making. She absolutely didnt need to stay up all night to do something slightly dodgy that would leave her seriously sick the next day.
But she did so anyway, because it would mess the team up otherwise.

I completely disagree that there would be any spillover she could not have handled much easier, if that had been her only concern.
As such she didnt really need to care about people being a little upset with Parfait. The one whose oppinion actually mattered on the subject influenced.
And Max banished her from base either way, it being about the extend of what she could do anyway without causing a major incident.

So i simply cant see what sort of spillover Dabbler should care about for herself.
As i already mentioned once. She got perfect cover in "it wasnt me". Thats it. Anyone trying to pin collective demon blame on her,
faces the problem of having to shoulder collective human blame.

And that being besides the other point you ignored, of Dabbler being a 300 year old succubus. I refuse to believe the majority of the team could stay mad at her.

even without that she tends to run the line of tolerable.

But no thats the case. She doesnt. She runs the line with Max because she likes to push her buttons.
Max is fiercely dedicated to being just and logical. So she wont allow what someone else did to influence stuff with Dabbler.
The rest of the team likes her. That i think is pretty clear in all their interactions.

[Rydiro]

I'm just surprised she doesn't have pajamas that are comfy and sexy.

[Dragonus45]

Yes thats the entire point im making. She absolutely didnt need to stay up all night to do something slightly dodgy that would leave her seriously sick the next day.
But she did so anyway, because it would mess the team up otherwise.

Slightly dodgy. That's a bit of an understatement. She wouldn't have bothered putting herself into this miserable state if she wasn't trying to cover up a potentially huge blowup that could have seen her sister arrested.

[Radar]

I'm just surprised she doesn't have pajamas that are comfy and sexy.

Those two descriptors maybe yes but sweatpants are also warm which is important when you are feeling sick. Sexy pajamas are typically... breezy. Besides, a healthy succubus would manage to look sexy even in a burlap sack.